


A Search for our Happy Fairytale Ending

by aroseandapen



Category: Alice Mare
Genre: Demonic Possession, Gen, brief description of gore, cheshire cat ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25927912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroseandapen/pseuds/aroseandapen
Summary: Allen returns home eight years after they all woke from their shared nightmare. All but Teacher, that is. This time, he’s made a deal with their tormentor, the Cheshire Cat. No matter what, he’ll make sure their fairytale has a happy ending.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	A Search for our Happy Fairytale Ending

Malicious laughter rang in his head as the large building came into view from the car window. Allen gritted his teeth, determined not to pay it any mind.

_So you really are returning, huh? You say you love them, but you must hate them._

It was hard to ignore when the voice was just as vivid at his own thoughts.

_Hate them, hate them so much that you want to see them broken, bleeding on the ground. Kehehe._

Allen squeezed his eyes shut, the familiar headache building up behind his head. His hands felt swollen in his lap, the tips of his fingers like claws instead of nails. He brought them together, folding one over the other just in case the taxi driver saw them transform. That was, if they did change. In the last eight years, Allen still didn’t know whether it was real or just a waking nightmare imposed on his vision.

_Still going on about nightmares and dreams, are you, Alice?_

A shocking image appeared on the back of his eyelids. Letty, in a pool of blood, scalped and eyes rolling in her head with no muscle to control them. Allen’s eyes flew open, a gasp catching in his throat, jolting in his seat. Only the seatbelt locking suddenly prevented him from trying to stand in the moving car.

“Hey, kid, you alright?” The driver caught his eye in the rearview mirror.

Allen tried to calm his racing heart, a cold sweat beading on his skin. His hands still itched, however, the desire to rend and tear seeping into his very bones. He looked away, and caught a hint of gold in his left eye when he saw his reflection in the glass.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Again the cacophonous laughter rose in his head. He had to stay calm. He wouldn’t let the demon who called himself the Cheshire Cat win.

_I will eventually, though. It’s only a matter of time. Until then, please keep fighting me, Alice~ It’ll be so much more delicious when you finally break._

“We’re almost there,” the driver said, breaking through the noise in his mind.

Allen nodded, though the Cheshire Cat echoed the driver’s words over and over. When they finally pulled up to the building, the place that had given Allen and several other children a home eight years ago, he couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. Like he was rushing to escape something which he could not. Even so, he’d rather be in the fresh, open air, rather than the confined space of a car.

He silently paid the driver and inclined his head as he wished Allen a good day. Then, without waiting to watch the taxi leave, he turned to face the home that he had left behind.

Two people lingered on the steps: a boy with silver hair, and a girl with brown. Although it had been nearly a decade since he’d seen either of them, Allen recognized the two instantly. Joshua noticed him first, turning his dark eyes out over the field. They landed on Allen, and his face froze.

“You’re--?” Josh’s voice carried easily, and he wasted no time in starting down the steps.

As he got closer, and saw Allen more quickly, Josh picked up the pace. His lengthy strides picked up into a jog, then a sprint. By the time he was within a few feet of him, Allen realized that he wasn’t stopping and braced for impact. Josh’s shoulder slammed into his chest. Allen stumbled back; he would have fallen, if Josh didn’t grab a fistful of Allen’s shirt, sharply yanking him back in.

“Y-you! After all these years, all these years, you’re just gonna show up again out of the blue?!”

“J-Josh, please wait!” Chelsy caught up to him, breathing hard. She rested a hand on his arm, her watery pale brown eyes wide and pleading. “D-don’t… don’t hurt him!”

“Why the hell not?!” he snapped, yanking his face to glare down at her. Chelsy yelped and shrunk away, eyes closed, hands guarding her head.

The reaction robbed Josh of any anger. His tense shoulders deflated. “Sorry, Chelsy, I didn’t mean it.”

“Tch.” With a noise of disgust directed towards Allen, Josh released his shirt with a shove. Allen allowed the momentum to carry him a few steps back, as the Cheshire Cat cackled at him. “We promised to stay together back then, after Teacher went into a coma. We were a family. At least I thought we were. So why did you abandon us back then?!”

Anxiety gnawed at Allen’s chest. His hands again felt heavy and swollen. And itchy. _Itchy itchy itchy_. Allen winced, a tremor running through him as he tried to hold it back. Chelsy looked up at him and gasped.

“Allen, your eye!”

Josh looked to his face and gaped, evidently seeing what Chelsy did there. “What?! What the hell?”

Allen clapped a hand over his left eye, knowing it to be gold. Claws that hadn’t been there before clipped his eyebrow, scratching his skin with the slapping motion. He winced, but he wouldn’t lower his hand.

“I’m sorry. I… didn’t want to leave, but I found out how to save Teacher. How to wake him up finally,” he said.

Two sets of eyes stared at him, big and round in awed disbelief. Chelsy spoke first, her voice barely shaking, “Really? Can you really save him, Allen?”

Hand still over his eye, Allen nodded.

“Yes. I can.”

_Kehehe, just leave it to me, Alice. Your precious teacher will be bright-eyed and bushytailed in no time. And then it’s your turn to fulfil our bargain. I can’t wait to play with you all again._

Allen didn’t tell them the deal made with the demon, the one who had plagued their nightmares eight years ago. They wouldn’t have to know, he decided. No matter what, he wouldn’t let the Cheshire Cat hurt them.

_We’ll just see about that~_


End file.
